CEFPI Spring 2014 Conference

On March 13th as part of the Spring 2014 CEFPI Alberta Chapter conference (Council of Educational Facility Planners International) held in the picturesque surroundings of Jasper Park Lodge, ACI Architects’ principals Darryl Rewniak and Ron Nemeth put forward a well-received and practical approach to planning a school modernization or new construction project. With design and construction schedules increasingly compressed in an effort to get ‘bums in seats’ as quickly as possible, architects and engineers are under pressure to gather a mind-boggling amount of information and preferences from school boards often ill-prepared for the number and breadth of questions. Drawing on their experience from twelve years of school design including innovative ideas from board staff and teachers across the province, Darryl and Ron presented an itemized list of topics and issues, most of which surface during the design stage and require on-the-spot answers. The result of the session is a comprehensive, practical checklist prompting school boards to assemble the right resources and begin the decision-making as early as possible following project announcement. We welcome your comments and contributions to further expand the usefulness of this tool.